Millimeter-wave signaling links are gaining in popularity, especially in the wireless context. Corresponding to operating frequencies in the range of around 30 to 300 GHz, transmission and reception of RF signals along the links are often realized through use of directional antennas. Such antennas are capable of steering beams between devices to effect data communications over the resulting wireless link.
When employed in a mobile device, conventional directional antenna configurations typically exhibit limited sizes due to the constraints imposed by the device size. Generally, this results in an antenna configuration that projects a relatively flat wavefront along its maximum radiation direction. This generally complicates tracking and often involves the use of high-resolution power measurements in order to achieve acceptable angular resolution.
Unfortunately, directional antenna schemes based on high-resolution power measurements often exhibit poor sensitivity characteristics. Moreover, they consume large amounts of power which may be undesirable for mobile device applications. Thus, the need exists for directional antenna configurations for mobile device applications that exhibit high-sensitivity with low-power consumption.